Abstract

Fruits are considered in dietary guidance because of their high concentrations of dietary fibre, vitamins, minerals, (especially electrolytes) and more phytochemicals, especially antioxidant. Antioxidant is “any substance that when present at low concentrations compared with that of an oxidizable substrate, significantly delays or inhibits oxidation of that substrate. The aim of this study is to determine the antioxidant and water holding capacity of Nauclea latifolia fruit. The phytochemical constituents and antioxidant properties of N. atifolia fruit were investigated. The fruit were extracted in ethanol. Qualitative phytochemicals analysis was determined. The antioxidant activities were examined in vitro using 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical, total phenol, ferric reducing antioxidant power assays and ferrious ion chelating. And the water holding capacity was examined. Phytochemical screening confirmed the presence of glycosides, flavonoids, tannin, alkaloids and saponins were present while Terpenoid and steroid were absent. N. latifolia ethanol fruit extract demonstrated effective antioxidant activity against 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl with an IC50 of 44.0 mg/ml. and it was shown that DPPH has antioxidant activity with a value of 75.62±0.001 mg/ml Total phenol, ferric reducing antioxidant power and ferrius ion chelating ability inhibition activity of the extract were 59.00±0.005, 57.39±0.001 and 78.61±0.001 mg/ml with IC50 21.0, 80, 0.22 mg/ml, respectively. Excellent positive correlations between the DPPH and FIC of the extract were observed. The water holding capacity was found to be 41.53±0.02%. Hence the fruit of N. latifoliais of therapeutic value and may be exploited for its rich antioxidant components.